Stop move to privatize LASERS

As you know, the governor is in the process of privatizing most, if not all, state hospitals and clinics which are staffed by state employees. As it is understood at this point, the retirement program (including the health insurance provision of the plan) for existing, long-term, vested employees will be eliminated or extremely watered down. In addition, vested state employees who have not met the minimum years of service to qualify for any type of retirement benefit will not only lose their pension but are at risk of losing hundreds if not thousands of hours of sick and annual time they have accrued over the years. As required by the state, we health care professionals have paid into LASERS rather than Social Security. For many, LASERS is the only retirement we have.

Unlike other careers within the state system, we do not have the option to transfer to another state job in order to complete our years of service and receive our full retirement benefit. We are health care professionals and this privatization is planned to occur at all state hospitals and clinics. Again, we have no options for transferring. The watered down pension will not be enough for us to make ends meet in retirement and we will qualify for little or no Social Security because we will be getting a state pension. For many of us, "starting" a new retirement plan at this point will be too little, too late. We have been dedicated state employees, who by paying into LASERS and coming to work each day rather than calling in sick (hence the many hours of accrued sick/annual time) have kept up our end of the bargain; the state of Louisiana has not. We are asking our state legislators to represent us in this matter. We understand that changes need to happen with regard to the state retirement plan for new employees and those with very few years of service. However, it is not right to change the retirement plan or take away accrued sick and annual time for employees that have been working toward it and counting on it for many years. Please allow dedicated, vested state employees to continue our state service in our privately run hospitals.

Melissa Hall

New Orleans

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Stop move to privatize LASERS

As you know, the governor is in the process of privatizing most, if not all, state hospitals and clinics which are staffed by state employees. As it is understood at this point, the retirement